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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29264238">Three Meetings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitsori/pseuds/bitsori'>bitsori</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band), fromis_9 (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Amusement Parks, F/M, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Libraries, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:28:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29264238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitsori/pseuds/bitsori</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jeongin finds Jiheon cute. (That's it. That's the story.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baek Jiheon/Yang Jeongin | I.N</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Three Meetings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <span class="small">i will sink with this crack ship lmao. they're both instant serotonin ok! happy birthday and happy graduation jeongin. also, advanced happy valentines day! i wanted to write something related to all of those, but i realised i already did that last year, lmao.</span>
</p><p>
  <span class="small">if you're actually about to read this very self indulgent piece, thank you! i hope you find some enjoyment in it, especially since i didn't really read over and edit this ;;</span>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>1.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>The first time Jeongin meets Jiheon is at the front steps of the Natural Sciences building. Jisung had promised him a free meal (rather, had promised to repay him </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> for a certain favor that Jeongin had granted him an entire semester ago), but in the meantime they were meeting Seoyeon so she could lend Jisung notes for the Psych class they share together that Jisung missed.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Here,” Seoyeon tells Jisung, handing him a thick notebook. “Give it back tomorrow morning,” she adds. “You owe me.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Jisung shrugs; Jeongin notes mentally that Jisung probably has a long list of favors he owes, and then he tunes out the rest of their conversation. Instead he finds himself focusing his attention on the girl Seoyeon had with her. She's tall—taller than Seoyeon, definitely, and probably taller than Jisung as well if he wasn't wearing thick soled boots. Her eyes are bright and sparkly despite the absentminded expression she wore as she stares far away – she's clearly as enthused about Jisung and Seoyeon's conversation as Jeongin is, which is to say, not at all. He cocks his head and tries to smile at her, but she ignores him so he just silently wills Seoyeon to do an introduction after she's done discussing with Jisung the key points from the Psych lecture that morning.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>It works, and a few minutes later he finds out her name is Baek Jiheon.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“She's a freshman, and she lives in the same goshiwon as me,”  Seoyeon tells them.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hello!” he greets her, flashing his brightest smile; he's not good at flirting with girls, especially younger ones, but he's been pretty confident of his smile ever since he got his braces removed halfway through high school senior year. He didn't spend years with the discomfort of metal in his mouth for nothing.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hi,” she answers, smiling right back.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>He considers suggesting they go have dinner with him and Jisung, but he hesitates far too long because soon enough, Seoyeon interrupts his thoughts with a, “Anyway, we have to go, we're off to meet some friends,” and a wave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah.” All he can do is sigh as they watch the girls walk off; and maybe he lets  a wistful sigh as well which is probably what tips Jisung off.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Oh?” Jisung grins cheekily and elbows him playfully. “Is she your type?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeongin snorts. “No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jisung gives him a knowing look that tells Jeongin he doesn't have him fooled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got you,” Jisung declares. “I'll ask Syeonnie for her number.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeongin can only groan as he gives Jisung the middle finger. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>2.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next time Jeongin sees her is at the library during exam season. He had just spent the last three hours learning that you can spend exactly that amount of time staring at text, and not pick up or absorb anything at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He's already starting to nod off  when she walks in and takes a seat at the table across his kiosk. Suddenly his eyelids don't feel as heavy anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opens a book and after about ten minutes, he can't help but marvel at her utmost concentration. She hasn't looked up once, and her front teeth are cutely  digging into her bottom lip as he diligently jots down notes using multi-colored pens in a separate notebook.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minutes pass with him sneaking glances at her, and not once does her focus waver. And then he starts feeling a little bit like a creep, so he throws caution to the wind and he moves to sit down across from her at her table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.” He grins at her, shy but determined.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She finally looks up from her books, staring silently at him as if trying to remember how she knows him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um. Hey,” Jeongin repeats, sheepish and embarrassed that he just assumed she would remember him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah!” She suddenly exclaims, her entire face lighting; her eyes really do sparkle, Jeongin thinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ssssh—!” the girl at the next table snaps at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops,” Jiheon immediately covers her mouth with a hand, clearly doing her best to reign in her giggles. “Seoyeon-unnie's friend, right?” she asks, her voice lowered into a soft, husky whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Jeongin answers with a nod. “Jiheon-ssi?” he pretends to confirm by gesturing towards her; not that he needs to, because he remembers her perfectly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods, smiling, but she also obviously can't remember his name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'm Jeongin,” he says. “Jisung-hyung is my roommate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah!” she says, nodding with recognizance. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>that's</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seoyeon-unnie's friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeongin shrugs, and grins, “He must be, since he's always mooching off her notes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jiheon laughs at his comment, and this time, the girl from the next table doesn't just shush them  – she actually walks over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you please shut up?” she berates them. “Some of us are actually trying to study here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She has such a solemn expression that Jeongin almost laughs to her face, but Jiheon beats him to it with an apology.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she tells the girl, but when the latter walks back to her table, Jiheon faces Jeongin again and rolls her eyes with clear exasperation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You'd think we were yelling at each other and not normally conversing,” she murmurs. “But I really should finish annotating this chapter,” she adds, pointing at her open textbook.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Jeongin agrees. “Uh, can I stay here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jiheon squints at him. “It's a college library,” she points out. “And it's a free country. You can sit wherever you like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeongin wheezes, trying not to laugh. She's right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cracks open his own books, and the next time he glances at the library clock hanging off the wall, he's surprised to find that over an hour has passed – and that this time he has managed actual productivity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He glances at Jiheon; who knew that productivity and diligence could be contagious?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, do you, uh want to get coffee after this?” he finds himself boldly asking; it can be his way of thanking her, even though she didn't actively do anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I'm not really a coffee person,” she answers. “But I like fruit smoothies?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh okay—” Jeongin chuckles. “There's a stall near the Social Science building that makes great fruit smoothies—?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I go there a lot,” Jiheon says with a bright smile, only for her expression to falter when she looks at her phone and she catches a glimpse of the time. “Uh. Rain check, maybe? I have a study group in fifteen minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He personally asks for her number instead and spams her with a dozen corny jokes later that night; pick-up lines courtesy of Changbin who happens to be working with Jisung on a project when he arrives home that evening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that really how you get someone to like you?” Jisung asks both of them as he and Changbin both try to look over Jeongin's shoulder phone while he texts Jiheon. “Not so sure Changbin is someone who should be doling out advice on matters like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever had a girlfriend?” Changbin challenges Jisung. “Boyfriend?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jisung wrinkles his nose; the red on his cheeks prove his embarrassment. Changbin smirks, confident because he's been in a steady relationship with Seungmin since the last term ended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeongin laughs, and tries to hide his phone screen when Jiheon replies. “Maybe if you try the same tactics with Minho-hyung,” he teases Jisung instead, enjoying the way his roommate turns an even deeper shade of red, “then you won't be single since birth anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yah, you little punk!” Jisung croaks out; Changbin can only laugh in the background as Jisung makes an unsuccessful attempt to wrestle Jeongin on the couch.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>3.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their first real date is at an amusement park. It's cheap because Jeongin snags cheap passes from Hyunjin who got them for free at the grocery downtown for being their millionth (or whatever) customer. (Jisung has a theory that Hyunjin got them because he's good looking and the ajumma at the grocery store has a crush on him; Jeongin can't say he totally disagrees.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They go on the ferris wheel first, both of them happily taking pictures of the view from the top; somewhere between the start and end of the ride, he somehow manages to slip his hand into hers without her noticing—or at least without either of them making an issue of it. When they go on the roller coaster, they both scream their lungs out; his own hysterics doesn't stop him from laughing at her and she hits his arm every time the ride makes a loop or a turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at that!” he teases, pointing at his arm after they get off the ride. “That's going to bruise!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” she apologises, looking embarrassed and a bit worn out from the ride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It's okay, you can make it better,” he grins; he really doesn't know where he's getting the confidence from but he isn't one to question good things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How?” she asks, adorable in the way she completely misses the innuendo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smirks in response; for good measure he adds a wink (rather, an attempt at one, because he isn't very good at the Art of Subtle and Suggestive Winks), both of which just earns him another couple of hits on the arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ouch!” he exclaims, laughing. “That's not making it better!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She laughs and childishly sticks out her tongue at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wrinkles his nose and mirrors her expression; it earns him yet another half-hearted smack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They go to the House of Horror next, and she holds on to him as soon as they enter. He tries to stop himself from laughing and teasing her about being a scaredy-cat, but he can't help himself. He usually isn't very keen on horror themes himself—he hates scary movies, and absolutely cannot understand the enjoyment people glean from it, but Jiheon clinging to him lends him a bit of courage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boo!” he teases, and she actually jumps a little with fright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate you!” she cries, even as she clings tighter; her fingers dig into his arm, and Jeongin thinks he's really going to be bruised later but he can live with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's almost hugging him from behind after the mummy emerges from his tomb to ‘attack’ them; by this point Jeongin feels a slight blush creep up his cheeks, especially when he realises he can feel Jiheon's chest pressing against his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they get out, it takes her a minute before she realises that she's still hanging onto him, and she promptly lets go and steps away. He notices she looks pretty flushed, and he wonders if he's that red as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, let's eat?” he just asks instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” she answers, a little too quick to agree while she  fidgets with the hem of her shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He boldly goes for a kiss later that night, with her clearly holding her breath the moment that he leans in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cute,” he inadvertently murmurs, pausing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, thanks,” she answers, smiling wide; he notices that the sparkle in her eyes are brighter than ever.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he kisses her, and it's nice, and then it's great, and then she's giggling softly, pulling away, and whispering good night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'll see you tomorrow,” she tells him; he nods, and he wears a silly smile on his face all the way back home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look stupid,” Minho tells him when he gets home; he and Jisung are on the couch watching a movie that Jeongin doesn't care to recognize.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” he answers, grinning, unfazed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jisung snorts, and he and Minho exchange a curious look. Jeongin doesn't really care – they have no room to talk so he simply walks past them to his room, a happy spring visible in his step.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>////</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <span class="small">thanks for making it to the end! ♥</span>
  <br/>
  <span class="small"><a href="http://twitter.com/hanmings">twt</a> &amp;&amp; <a href="http://curiouscat.me/yiminho">cc</a></span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="small">p.s. <a href="https://twitter.com/hanmings/status/1229733401554374658?s=19">i update this even more self-indulgent thread when i can lol</a></span>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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